http://homepage.mac.com/mstephens7/B143020931 Technology Librarian's Blog by Michael Stephens mstephens7@mac.com © Michael Stephens Tue, 09 Mar 2004 08:07:25 -0500 Tue, 09 Mar 2004 08:08:17 America/Indianapolis iBlog 1.3.5 ]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2004 08:04:48 -0500

Flew in very early this am and I have settled in my room at the Hilton. Time to breathe now and time to work on stuff for this week and for next...

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Here our Book Blogger Joe Sipocz posts about authors and such at PLA . I like this one and it's a perfect example of the power of blogs for Public Libraries.
Thanks JOE!

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Take a look at this via WIRED:

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,62537,00.html?tw=rss.TEK

The article states that a lot of the big name bloggers are actually reading and borrowing from lesser-known blogs, without attribution. They in turn pick up on something hot or interesting and link to it...

""What we're finding is that the important people on the Web are not necessarily the people with the most explicit links (back to their sites), but the people who cause epidemics in blog networks," said researcher Eytan Adar.

These infectious people can be hard to find because they do not always receive attribution for being the first to point to an interesting idea or news item."

And:

"Blogs are helping us get a better understanding of how things happen on the Internet," said Adar. "We're hopeful that in being able to do this research, we can apply the technology to other information, like e-mail, to improve productivity."

Interesting! Can you already feel the shift in the way we use communication tools online? has your use of e-mail changed? How about IMing? Text messaging?

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Wow... PLA was GREAT...and it wore me out... and now I'm recharging before I'm off to DC on Sunday for CIL... See you in DC!

I'll be co-hosting a dine-around Thursday Night for bloggers with Steven Cohen and Jenny Levine! Scott Brandt has one Tuesday night for tech trainers!

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/microsoft_visual_diary


"REDMOND, Wash. - SenseCam, touted as a visual diary of sorts by Microsoft Corp., is designed to be worn around the neck and take up to 2,000 images a 12-hour day automatically. ..."

WOW! This seems out there even to me but I get the idea... That's about 166 images an hour or 2.7 a minute... think of the CRAZY possibilities....

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Pondering this afternoon back at my desk a week spent in the Pacific Northwest with Public Librarians from all over the country. These things I know:

* Public Librarians are a darn friendly group of folks, willing to talk shop anywhere, from the Market to the deck of a Ferry, as well as invite a colleague for breakfast!

* Buildings matter! Space! Design! We want to be the community living room..meeting place..tech place ..like the new Seattle PL. And the Cerritos PL... a WOW library.

* Technology is a tool. Don’t get involved with techno lust – don’t just buy it then figure out what to do.

* RFID is BIG and will change the way we do business yet again... but is it really and truly ready for primetime? The debate continues... many good opinions were expressed in the Tech talks, etc. Librarians are the first to want to put tags on all sorts of crazy stuff: DVD, CD, etc..

* Tech types must have been laying low... where were all the laptops? the cell phone cameras? (except this one) I did see a lot of PDAs

* Four librarians gathered for a dinner will ultimately touch on "what's HOT" (blogs, RSS, RFID) and "what's NOT" (ugly shoes, dead wood staff, poor planning)

* People ordering at Starbucks speak a language all their own, that I tried my best to adopt

* Library staff that see employees getting away at being "Dead Wood" lose respect for administration

* "Internet Sign In.." is a nationwide mantra for PLS who haven't embraced PC management software

* Anna Quindlen likes us...she really likes us...

* We need WIFI at all library conferences....

* Library dignitaries are incredibly approachable and pretty darn cool

* The digital divide is very real and it's to easy to be irked about it instead of acting

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Submitted for your approval:

http://www.tametheweb.com/galleries/SeattlePLA/

Note Libraryman and I cavorting at the Market...


AND: The Kalakala Revealed

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I am home now... a little under the weather but still reeling with how much there was to take in at PLA. I miss the days already:

5am: Exercise at the Seattle Athletic Club (I know..I couldn't sleep...)

6am: Venti double bag Awake with room from the original Starbucks

7am: Breakfast with my SJCPL Crew at Lowell's in the Market where each day we meet more librarians!

8am: Off to the Convention Center/E-mail check/writing/blogging/

9am: Sessions, Exhibits, Networking

Lunch: A good Seattle dining experience & hopefully some quick sight-seeing... Kalakala anyone?

2pm: Sessions, Exhibits, Networking

6pm: Dinner with friends and colleagues... Thanks to Charles & Miguel at Neal Schuman for a great evening at 727!!

9pm: Almost ready for bed...watching the ferries steam by our window at the Inn at the Market

Ahhh...sigh... Seattle....

]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2004 09:44:21 -0500 An afternoon spent in the exhibits yielded loads of free stuff for those who wanted to cart it home or ship it, a look at what's Hot and coming and a whole bunch of resources for public librarians to evaluate and use.

...Innovative Interfaces Inc: SJCPL's provider not only sponsored the blue bags seen on the arm of librarians all around town but they touted some new stuff as well. MILLENNIUM SILVER, "an update on the upcoming release of the Millennium software," and the intriguing WIRELESS WORKSTATION. The iii Web site says this: Millennium Silver includes significant enhancements to the cataloging, circulation and acquisitions modules. New products in Millennium Silver include the wireless workstation and online patron registration. In addition, Millennium Silver launches a suite of new products focused on Web-based and electronic information services including the Electronic Resource Management, XML Harvester, XML Server and eCommerce modules. Graham continued, “Millennium Silver continues the Innovative tradition of providing market-leading products and services demanded by today’s libraries.”

...Exhibitors: here's a hint: offer free wifi as p[art of your booth at the conferences..we'll luv ya for it!

An afternoon spent in the exhibits yielded loads of free stuff for those who wanted to cart it home or ship it, a look at what's Hot and coming and a whole bunch of resources for public librarians to evaluate and use.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: Publishers and vendors were everywhere.... the sea of print materials was astounding!

DATABASES DATABASES DATABASES: I checked in with my favorites (Gale, anyone?) and chatted up some newer providers. So much full text...so little time...

Innovative Interfaces Inc: SJCPL's provider not only sponsored the blue bags seen on the arm of librarians all around town but they touted some new stuff as well. MILLENNIUM SILVER, "an update on the upcoming release of the Millennium software," and the intriguing WIRELESS WORKSTATION. The iii Web site says this: Millennium Silver includes significant enhancements to the cataloging, circulation and acquisitions modules. New products in Millennium Silver include the wireless workstation and online patron registration. In addition, Millennium Silver launches a suite of new products focused on Web-based and electronic information services including the Electronic Resource Management, XML Harvester, XML Server and eCommerce modules. Graham continued, “Millennium Silver continues the Innovative tradition of providing market-leading products and services demanded by today’s libraries.”

VTLS : RFID big name player.... intriguing...but I'm dubious until the technology has aged a bit... VTLS was also transmitting a wireless signal that I hooked to but it was protected.

Exhibitors: here's a hint: offer free wifi as p[art of your booth at the conferences..we'll luv ya for it!

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Thank goodness for the Local Color Cafe in the Pike Place Market. I was able to logon each morning and in the afternoon. T-Mobile through Starbucks helped as well. I was ranting RE:free wifi at PLA on the way back from the Convention Center with colleagues and was overheard by an ALA employee who said they are trying their best to provide it! HuuuRah!

Checkout Technobiblio's post re: WIFI at ALA...

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http://www.libraryman.com/blog/archives/000102.html

Michael Porter writes on conference attendance:

GO! Recharge your batteries in an excellent city. Get away from home for a week. Meet people working with the same issues you are. They call it professional development for a reason!

Indeed, Mr. Porter...indeed. The best thing about PLA for me was the networking, chatting with people I've learned with and trained with, and hearing what's on the minds of public librarians today...

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Via WIRED (print): I rip pages out I want to surf to or blog about and file them until I'm connected again.

An article about Glenn Reynolds' Bookmarks:

www.technorati.com : I had seen this before but it finally sunk in I should take a look. I ego-surfed TTW and found a cool blog at Redwood City CA library that linked to mine!

http://www.gizmodo.com/ - Gizmo lover's blog

GOOGLE Articles I enjoyed on the way out to Seattle...

Batman Dead End by Sandy Collora

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/162523_weddings28.html?source=rss

Lunch Hour Highlight during PLA: a mad taxi ride to Lake Union to photograph the aging ferry!



UPDATE:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/162819_kalakala02.html?source=rss

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2004 10:10:49 -0800 ]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2004 09:29:51 -0800

at the wifi cafe while writing about PLA and the state of public libraries...

"Those Librarians are great!"

I let out a "WoooHoo!"

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I tried to get to a load of techie related stuff and never once did I hear a speaker address Blogs or RSS and their use in public libraries. Internet Librarian had a whole track devoted to the topic of blogs!!! What's happening? My roomie and I (Joe is head of Collection Development at SJCPL) were chatting late last night: maybe the stuff that is almost old hat at the techie conferences is till making its way to PLA...

The Tech Consultants, however, detailed some stuff I hadn't heard about before -- The "Para-techies"... which I think my library and others should look at...

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While I was off with the Tech Consultants, my colleague Sue was attending a talk by Bill Grace of EthicsLeadership.org. She and Joe were fired up at this one. I think it's good to remember we are human and technology is just a tool...

She shared her notes with me:

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMON GOOD IN AN ERA OF SECRECY AND INFORMATION CONTROL
Dr. Bill Grace

Gracious Space. Comfort. Warm. Home. Outdoors.
Two dimensions – inner life - public space
External dimension outer life... outdoors.
Look at both inner life and public life is there enough gracious space to make us feel comfortable.
Strangers feel comfortable in gracious space. There are people who we would welcome but there are people we keep at arm’s length... who do we put our arm up against in a public space.

Two duties of leadership:
Tell the truth. We are responsible for our own truth. “The duty of every citizen in a democracy is to speak the truth of love and power.”
The truth does make us afraid.
Point towards hope. Respond from a place other than fear... from hope... how do we make our world safer. “champions of liberty. Access to information. Library is a place where the future is born. Nobel prize for peace... what are we called upon for at this time? What is our best work?


Noble Civilized – homeless people calling the internet home.

Core values....
Passion
Loyalty

Courage

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If they dance together, something unexpected will happen. If they don't, the next world will be a lot like this one.

Bill Holm from the poem "Advice"

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